Heart healthHigh cholesterolNutrition

6 common cholesterol mistakes

Skipping healthy fats? Staying too long at happy hour? These everyday slipups can undermine your heart health.

Jan, 2026
LearnCholesterol6 common cholesterol mistakes
Slide 1
You Don't Know Your Numbers
You Don't Get Enough Exercise
You Go Heavy On Alcohol
You Skip Your Medication
You Don't Watch Your Sugar
You Forget About Good Fats

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Slide 1

Though our bodies need cholesterol, too much of a certain kind can clog arteries and cause heart disease, the leading killer of adults in the United States.

But there’s good news: You can take steps to lower your cholesterol and your risk of heart attack and stroke. Start by following an overall healthy diet, not smoking, and avoiding these everyday health mistakes.

Written byTaylor Lupo.
Medically reviewed byAnn Wendling, MD, MPH.March, 2024
Sources: American Heart Association. How much sugar is too much? 2022. Page accessed June 22 + 17
  1. American Heart Association. How much sugar is too much? 2022. Page accessed June 22, 2022.
  2. American Heart Association. Prevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol (Hyperlipidemia). November 11, 2020. Accessed June 28, 2022.
  3. American Heart Association. Heart-Health Screenings. March 22, 2019. Accessed June 28, 2022.
  4. American Heart Association. Saturated fats. Revised November 1, 2021. Accessed June 28, 2022.
  5. American Heart Association. Trans Fats. March 23, 2017. Accessed June 29, 2022.
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cholesterol-lowering Medicine. Page updated June 24, 2021.
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cholesterol: Preventing High Cholesterol. September 8, 2021. Accessed June 28, 2022.
  8. Mayo Clinic. Top 5 lifestyle changes to improve your cholesterol. August 28, 2020. Accessed June 28, 2022.
  9. Mayo Clinic. High cholesterol. July 20, 2021. Accessed June 28, 2022.
  10. Maningat P, Gordon BR, Breslow JL. How do we improve patient compliance and adherence to long-term statin therapy? Current Atherosclerosis Reports. 2013 Jan;15(1):291.
  11. Grundy SM, Stone NJ, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. Circulation. 2019;139:e1082–e1143.
  12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dietary Guidelines for Alcohol. Page reviewed April 19, 2022. Accessed June 28, 2022.
  13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Gu Q, Paulose-Ram R, Burt VL, Kit BK. Prescription cholesterol-lowering medication use in adults aged 40 and over: United States, 2003–2012. NCHS data brief, no 177. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2014.
  14. MedlinePlus. Cholesterol levels. April 4, 2022. Accessed June 29, 2022.
  15. MedlinePlus. Triglycerides. October 7, 2020. Accessed June 29, 2022.
  16. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Blood Cholesterol Diagnosis. Page updated March 24, 2022. Accessed June 28, 2022.
  17. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity. Guidelines for Americans 2nd Edition. 2018. Accessed June 28, 2022.
  18. Welsh JA, Sharma A, et al. Caloric Sweetener Consumption and Dyslipidemia Among US Adults. JAMA. 2010;303(15):1490–1497.

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